Why This Matters
Gallup data show that people who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged at work (Gallup.com). For master’s-level engineering and tech students, that engagement translates into career-readiness gains: a 2023 study of 5,000 U.S. college students found those who completed CliftonStrengths coaching were nearly twice as confident in choosing a satisfying career path and felt significantly better prepared for the job search (Gallup.com). A separate Gallup meta-analysis of campus strengths programs also links strengths conversations to higher student retention and academic success (Gallup.com).
In short, naming and aiming your Top 5 talents isn’t feel-good fluff—it’s an evidence-backed way to boost engagement now and sharpen the career story recruiters will remember later.
Use the Gallup Access site to view your CliftonStrengths Results.
Log in using your Duke email address and password you chose. To retrieve your Top 5 report, click “View CliftonStrengths” and the Top 5 report will appear as an option on the right side of the screen.
For troubleshooting support, visit this Gallup Help Center.
➡️ Use the green chat box in the bottom right corner to connect with the support team. Or, click “Still Need Help?” in the bottom left to submit a help ticket.
ATTN: Fall 2025 starters
Below is information you received about taking the CliftonStrengths Assessment. If you did not receive these emails, contact Pratt-GSPS@duke.edu.
- 8/7 email from GSPS – subject: Duke Pre-Orientation Task: Complete Your CliftonStrengths Assessment
| sender: Pratt-GSPS@duke.edu - 8/7 email from Gallup with assessment invitation – subject: Invitation to Take Your CliftonStrengths Assessment
| sender: support@mail.gallup.com - 8/15 reminder email from GSPS – subject: Pre-Orientation Task Reminder | sender: Pratt-GSPS@duke.edu
- 8/18 reminder email from Gallup if you had not taken assessment or were in progress
- 8/19 reminder email from Gallup if you had not taken assessment or were in progress
- Name your Top 5 (10 min) | Log into Gallup Access and access your report → copy/paste theme names & short descriptions into a doc or notes app | Creates a single reference sheet; boosts recall.
- Claim your Strengths (15 min) | Use this worksheet as a guide in owning how your Strengths . | Converts themes into plain‑English value for recruiters. | worksheet
- Aim at one goal or challenge this month (10 min) | Choose a priority (e.g. get settled at Duke) or challenge (e.g. work with a complex team) → write 2‑sentence plan linking your Strengths to action. | Strengths‑aligned goals are more likely to stick and increase follow-through
- Schedule weekly reflection (2 min) | Calendar 10 min / Fri: Revisit your Aim ^. “How was I able to put my Strengths to action this week?” How did I use specifically use Strength X this week to meet my goal or address my challenge?” | Builds habit of intentionality with your Strengths; turns awareness into skill. |
Step | What to do | Why it levels up |
1. Pair themes for more impact (30 min) | Dig deep into your Top 5 Report, specifically the How (Strength) Blends with Your Other Top Five Strengths section of each Strength. | Identifies ways you provide greater impact as an individual or in a team; prepares richer introductions and stories. |
2. Craft CART stories for each strength (45 min)
| One challenge per theme; highlight the talent(s) → action → result. | Ready‑made answers for behavioral interviews. (Remember use verbs to show your action, not adjectives –“I’m a learner”– to label yourself.) |
3. Look for partners (20 min) | Map which classmates’ strengths complement yours; note whom to ask for feedback or help. (Ex. Stuck on scope creep? Combine *Focus* with a peer’s *Strategic* to realign priorities.) | Boosts collaboration and limits time you spend stuck |
4. Talk about your Strengths with family, friends, and classmates (30 min) | Share an insight you have about a Strength. Ask how they’ve seen the Strength show up in your interactions. | Enhances resilience. Gallup research shows talking about Strengths to a variety of people increases a student’s understanding of how Strengths can help them overcome challenges. (Gallup, 2024) |
5. Consider how your Strengths work together. | Use Gallup’s In My Own Wordsworksheet to prompt a short paragraph about how your Strengths work together in a scenario. | Builds on your CART stories, providing your audience with an integrated version of who you are. |
5. Revisit goals (“aims”) quarterly (30 min) | Celebrate & track your wins! Update your Strengths Snapshot to reflect how you’re using your Strengths. | Keeps development aligned with evolving career & professional development targets. |
- Name It – Claim It – Aim It: Understand your CliftonStrengths themes, notice and appreciate them, develop ideas for applying in your career exploration, search process, and everyday life.
- Theme Map: Build out each of your Top 5 CliftonStrengths, developing your own language for describing what you naturally do well.
- Quick Connects: Talk to someone else about their Strengths using these prompting questions.
- Talent Map:Dig deeper to discover how your Top 5 Strengths influence your primary responsibilities.
- Gleaning Insights from Theme Dynamics: Pair your Strengths and explore how they complement each other, impact how you operate in your role as a student, team member, etc, and affect relationships.
Need | Resource | Action |
I’m excited about Strengths and want to discuss more. | GSPS Career & Communication team | Schedule a Strengths appointment in Handshake. |
I’m looking for resources I can dig into on my own to build more self-awareness.
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| Explore My Learning Journey a guide to learning about CliftonStrengths and using this appraoch to focus on natural talent. Complete On-Demand Learning focused on how to use your Top 5 Report and how to share your Strengths with others. |
I’ll understand my Strengths better as I hear others talk about theirs. | Listen as CliftonStrengths experts talk dig deep into individual Strengths and how they help and create challenges in work. |
